Falcon 9 rocket debris burned up over Poland, but the military was unaware due to an outdated email. Officials now scramble to assign blame and revise procedures.
Military Unaware Due to an “Outdated Email”
The Polish military was caught off guard as debris from a Falcon 9 rocket entered national airspace. The second stage of the SpaceX rocket, after successfully deploying 22 Starlink satellites, was expected to deorbit in a controlled manner. However, this time, it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere unpredictably, burning up over Poland before heading toward Ukraine. Despite this, the Polish Armed Forces were not informed, with the Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, citing an outdated email as the reason for the communication failure.
Blame Game Begins
The incident has sparked political controversy. The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) had allegedly sent a warning, but it went unnoticed due to outdated contact details. Following the revelation, Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz faced criticism, prompting the government to launch an internal investigation. The Ministry of Development and Technology has since called for urgent procedural revisions within POLSA to prevent similar miscommunication in the future. As officials scramble to assign responsibility, the incident highlights critical gaps in Poland’s aerospace security protocols.